An ear-piercing shriek erupted from the bouncy house, interrupting the chatting of a dozen mothers. It was clearly the sound of a young child in pain, but not my young child. Every mother knows the sound of her own child’s screams.The crowds that had been laughing and playing moments before were silence and still, all eyes on the bounce house. Only spotting one of my own kids, I let out a sigh. It was not the sound of relief, but the exhalation of a weary woman. My offspring may not have been in pain, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he may have been the cause of it........Read the Rest

As I writer, my favorite genre is Creative Nonfiction~ mostly because real life never ceases to amaze and entertain me. Anyone who has ever spent any time around children knows that they do and say all sorts of unexpected things, and my kids certainly give me plenty to think and write about.....

I’ve been asked more than once what would inspire me as a mother to travel more than 4000 miles across seven states and spend weeks sleeping in a tent with my two children as my only vacation companions. The answer can be summed up in one word: dreams.As parents we all want our children to have big dreams, but sometimes, those dreams seem larger than we can facilitate. That’s where creativity comes in. When my 12-year-old daughter confided her dream of seeing all 50 U.S. states before she turned 18, her enthusiasm was contagious. We began to plot, plan and dream together daily.....

For the second time in a week, the gas light comes on in my car. I’m busy, as usual, and so I push it a little farther, run just a few more errands. But I know that I do need to stop and refill before too long, or I will be left on the side of the road. I’ve been stranded before, and have learned my lesson....

I know that some homeschooling families might consider an afternoon at the creek a break from school work, but for our family, time spent enjoying nature is what our homeschooling lifestyle is all about.

Armed with a bag that usually contains at least a book or two to read aloud or alone, sketch books and pencils, maybe the camera or magnifying glass, some kind of hand crafts, and of course some snacks and water, the kids, dogs, goats and I head down the hill for an afternoon of creekschooling.Read the Rest...

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Sporadic ramblings on my attempts to chase dreams with my kids, avoid assimilation, and enjoy the parenting adventure.* May include over analysis, abundant metaphors and extra punctuation!!!Want more? Come on, all the cool kids are doing it.It'll make you feel good! ;-)

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